Gora made an indelible impression on me the very first time l heard
him speak, at a meeting in Kerala in 1964. The fire of his conviction,
the clarity of his message and the originality of his stance made me notice,
and seek him out. That was the beginning of an association which started
with a trek from village to village through the Kerala paddies, later allowed
me to spend a string of unforgettable months with him and his family and
co-workers at the Atheist Centre in Patamata, and which one day, years
later, saw us travelling together in New York City, Gora attracting a bit
of attention with his Indian dress. Even beyond his all-too-early
death, the life work he left behind, embodied in his family and co-workers.
and in the Atheist Centre with its many bold projects and imaginative activities,
allowed that association to continue even if from a distance. It is real
cause for celebration that the labors of this man thus not only lived on,
but have done so with vigor, new initiatives and expanding activities.
It has been a joy and an inspiration to follow this work from afar, primarily
through Lavanam and other members of the family visiting abroad, but also
through the pages of The Atheist. You have my congratulations from
the bottom of my heart, each and every one of you whose labors have made
this possible, and I wish you a joyous and rewarding celebrations of fifty
years of the Atheist Centre. May its work continue to flourish and may
your lives have the health and the happiness to carry it on.